A device of such a type is described in WO 01/18796 A1.
Imaging plates, which store a latent image in the form of excited local states of colour centres, are suitable—unlike X-ray films—for frequent re-use. For the resolution of the imaging plates, it is important that the active working layer, which contain the storage centres (as a rule, rare earths in an alkaline-earth or alkali mixed-crystal matrix) in homogeneously distributed manner and which are optically highly isotropic, preserve their optical isotropy even during relatively long use. Scratches and stress marks result in an impairment of the X-ray image.
The problem of protecting imaging plates from mechanical damage of such a type even in continuous use is to be solved by the present invention.
The present invention is directed to address these and other issues.